Windsor Rotarian Talks About Marriage

John Sullivan, left, with President Fred Ollison III, was the guest speaker at the April 25 luncheon meeting of Grosse Pointe Rotary at the War Memorial. A Windsor-Roseland Rotarian, Sullivan talked about his occupation as a marriage counselor. He is trained in Imago Relationship Therapy, which focuses on a connection between the frustrations experienced in adult relationships and early childhood experiences. For example: If you frequently felt criticized as a child, you will likely be sensitive to any criticism from, and feel criticized often, by your partner. The idea is to stretch one’s self to find a way to meet your partner’s needs (to address the negatives learned while growing up). His therapy includes “intentional dialogue” where the partners 1) mirror what they hear and not just react to what they think they heard; 2) validate that what the other person says make sense, not that its right or wrong; and  3) empathize with what the other person is saying.  The idea is to communicate safely, to eliminate the negative, and to amplify the positive. (Photo by George R. McMullen Jr.)